Front-feeding device for accounting or other such machines

ABSTRACT

Feed apparatus for printing machines providing both front and back feed in which a pivotal guide frame mounted over the printing platen has a plurality of longitudinal guide surfaces for guiding front and back fed sheets separately, a pivotally supported guide rule parallel to said frame providing a frontmost guide surface, lateral adjustable guides mounted on said frame and said rule, front and rear bottom guides positioned below the printing platen together with respective paper-pressing rollers, a plurality of interengaged levers for effectuating release of a plurality of said guides simultaneously for insertion of sheet material and cam-operated clutch means for releasing the printing platen for free manual rotation during the insertion of material.

limited States Patent [72] Inventors Alessandro Cortona Banchette, Turin; Bruno Sandrone,1vera, Turin, both of Italy [21] Appl. No. 802,831 [22] Filed Feb. 27, 1969 [45] Patented Dec. 7, 1971 [73] Assignee llng. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A.

lvera, Turin, Italy [32] Priority Mar. 2, 1968 [33] Italy [31 50,743/68 [54] FRONT-FEEDING DEVICE FOR ACCOUNTING OR OTHER SUCH MACHINES 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs. [52] U.S.Cl 197/128, 197/138 R, 197/123 [51] Int. Cl B41j11/48 [50] Field ofSearch 197/128. 123,18613, 138 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 943,141 12/1909 Coo 197/128 Primary Examiner- Ernest T. Wright, .lrv A!I0rne v Kevin C. McMahon ABSTRACT: Feed apparatus for printing machines providing both front and back feed in which a pivotal guide frame mounted over the printing platen has a plurality of longitudinal guide surfaces for guiding front and back fed sheets separately, a pivotally supported guide rule parallel to said frame providing a front-most guide surface, lateral adjustable guides mounted on said frame and said rule, front and rear bottom guides positioned below the printing platen together with respective paper-pressing rollers, a plurality of interengaged levers for effectuating release of a plurality of said guides simultaneously for insertion of sheet material and camoperated clutch means for releasing the printing platen for free manual rotation during the insertion of material.

PATENTEU nu: 7|97l 1625333 sum 1 or 3 I ALESSANDRO CORTONA BRUNO 5 BY M ATTORNEY NVENTORS NDRONE PATENTED use m SHEET 2 OF 3 INVENTORS ALESSANDRO CORTONA BRUNO S NDRON BY I 7 ATTORNEY PATENTED DEC 71911 3625333 sum 3 BF 3 INVENTORS ALESSANDRO CORTONA ATTORNEY FRONT-FEEDING DEVICE FOR ACCOUNTING OR OTHER SUCH MACHINES CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION Applicants claim priority from corresponding Italian Pat. application, Ser. No. 50743 filed Mar. 2, 1968, now Italian Pat. No. 831160.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to combined front and rear feed apparatus for printing machines, accounting machines, typewriting machines, teleprinters and the like having a rotatable platen around which sheet materials, usually forms, are inserted from front and back, sometimes simultaneously so as to overlap at the printing zone.

2. Description of the Prior Art Front feeding devices of the type mentioned are already known. Generally, these include a guide hopper for the front fonns and this can be moved away from the platen when a back form, which is not guided by the hopper, is to be inserted round the platen. These devices, however, require complicated operating means for moving the hopper away from the platen. Moreover, in known devices fitted to machines or apparatus for bank counters, superposed front forms can be introduced, for example an invoice with the relevant carbon copies, which must have their bottom edges glued together. These devices, however, have the drawback that the top edges of the forms emerging upwardly from the inserter, and therefore in the direction opposite to themovement of insertion, tend to open up and bend back on themselves because of the flexibility of the forms.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention, feed apparatus is provided in an accounting or other printing machine having a rotatable platen around which a back form can be placed comprising a rigid frame disposed above the platen and tiltable about a spindle parallel to the platen, the frame having two sidewalls connected by three crosspieces disposed one behind the other to form two transverse openings, the crosspieces having a plurality of longitudinal guide surfaces for guiding front and back fed sheets separately. In addition a guide rule pivotally supported parallel to said crosspieces provides a frontmost guide surface. Lateral adjustable guides are mounted on the frame and on the rule for guiding back fed and front fed sheets respectively. Additional front and rear guides are positioned below the printing platen together with front and rear paperpressing rollers. A plurality of interengaging levers are provided for effectuating release of a plurality of said guides simultaneously for insertion of material to be printed. Also a cam-operated clutch releases the printing platen from step actuated drive means for free manual rotation during insertion of material.

The invention will be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a partial longitudinal section of a frontal insertion device embodying the invention incorporated in a teleprinter;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on the line Il-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on the line III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a detail of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, the fixed frame of a teleprinter has a removable rear cover 11 (FIG. 1). Rotatable in the frame 10 is a platen 12 with which there can cooperate a group of type wheels 9 movable transversely with respect to the platen 12. The platen 12 is fixed on a shaft 13 adapted to be rotated in known manner by an electric motor not shown in the drawing via a worm 14 (FIG. 2) in engagement with a worm wheel 16. The latter is loose on a sleeve 17 which is slidable axially but is angularly fast with the shaft 13 by means of a key 18. The wheel 16 is provided with a recess 15 having a conical toothed surface normally in engagement with a conjugate conical toothed surface of a disc 19 integral with the sleeve 17.

Mounted slidably and rotatably on the shaft 13 is another disc 21 having a slot 23 (FIG. 4) engaged by a fixed pin 22. The disc 21 is provided with a series of cam surfaces 24 (FIG. 2) with each of which there cooperates a corresponding stud 25 fixed to a further disc 26 which is loose on the shaft 13. The disc 26 is integral with a lever 27 (FIG. 4) adapted to assume two different angular positions in correspondence with which the studs 25 (FIG. 2) are in engagement with the raised portions and with the sunken portions, respectively, of the cam surfaces 24. Another pin 28 fast with the disc 26 is adapted to cooperate with two radial shoulders 29 (FIG. 4) of the disc 21 and determines the two positions of the lever 27. A compression spring 30 (FIG. 2) disposed between the disc 19 and a flange 31 fixed to the end of the shaft 13 urges the disc 21 axially against the disc 26 and the studs 25 into contact with the cam surfaces 24.

The shaft 13 is moreover adapted to be rotated manually by means of a milled knob 32 (FIG, 3) fixed to a shaft 33 rotatable in the frame 10. A gear 34 keyed on the shaft 33 meshes with a gear 36 rotatable on a fixed shaft 37. The gear 36 moreover meshes with a gear 38 keyed on the shaft 13.

A first series of paper-pressing rollers 39 (FIG. 1) is disposed to the rear of the platen l2 and cooperate therewith to cause the advance of a continuous back form 41 constituted, for example, by a journal sheet. The rollers 39 are normally held in contact with the platen l2 and can be moved away therefrom by means of a manually operated lever 42 1 (FIG. 3) fixed to a shaft 43 turning in the frame 10. The lever 42 is provided with a slot 44 with which there cooperates a pin 46 on a crank 47 pivoted on a fixed spindle 48. A spring 49 attached to the crank 47 holds the pin 46 bearing against the bottom of the slot 44, in which two notches 51, 52 are formed.

On the shaft 43 there is pivoted a series of pairs of arms 53 (FIG. I), each pair carrying at the front a rod 54 on which the rollers 39 are rotatable. Each arm 53 is held so that it is turned anticlockwise by a spring 56. On the shaft 43, alongside each arm 53, there is fixed a lever 57 provided with a pin 58 adapted to cooperate with the edge of the respective arm 53. Provided between each pair of arms 53 is a plate 61 so bent as to guide the journal sheet 41 in contact with the platen 12. Each plate 61 has two drilled lugs 59 turning on the shaft 43. Each plate 61 is held so that it is turned anticlockwise by two springs 62 attached to the lugs 59 and is provided with another two lugs 63 each one provided with a slot 163 engaged by a pin 153 secured to each arm 53. The plates 61 are moreover provided with windows 64 through which the rollers 39 pass.

A second series of paper-pressing rollers 66 is disposed in front of the platen 12 and cooperate therewith to cause the advance of a front form 67 placed over the back form 41. The rollers 66 are normally held bearing against the platen 12 and can be moved away therefrom by means of a manually operated lever 68 (FIG. 3) secured to a fixed shaft 69 turning in the frame 10. The lever 68 is provided with a slot 71 with which there cooperates a pin 72 on a crank 73 pivoted on a fixed spindle 74. A spring 76 holds the pin 72 bearing against the bottom of the slot 71, in which two notches 77, 78 are formed.

The shaft 69 is provided with a milled flat 169 to which a series of levers 81 are fixed by screws 79 (FIG. 1), these levers being connected at the rear by a rod 82. Each lever 81 has a lug or tongue adapted to cooperate with a stud 83 on the arm 84 pivoted on the rod 82 and urged anticlockwise by a spring 86. The arms 84 are connected at the front in pairs by rods 87 on which the rollers 66 are rotatable. A series of pins 88 having spherical ends are engaged in an axial groove in the shaft 69. Each pin 88 is disposed between a pair of arms 84 and is fixed to a plate 89 curved so as to guide the front form 67 around the platen 12. Each plate 89 is urged anticlockwise by a spring 91 and is provided with two bent lugs 92 each one provided with a slot 192 engaged by a pin 184 secured to each arm 84. The plates 89 are moreover provided with windows 93 through which the rollers 66 pass.

A transparent rule 94 is normally disposed above the platen 12 and extends transversely over the entire length of the platen itself. The rule 94 is used for guiding the front form 67 against the platen 12 and for aligning the form 67 on the platen 12 by means of the references marked on the rule 94. The rule 94 is fixed at each end to a support 96 held laterally by a pair of levers 97 and 98. Each lever 97 is pivoted on a fixed pin 101. Each lever 98, on the other hand, is pivoted on the shaft 43 and is connected to the rollers 66 by means of a lost-motion linkage comprising a pin 102 fixed to each lever 98 at the rear and engaging in a slot 103 in a corresponding connecting rod 104 connected to a corresponding crank 105 fixed to the shaft 69. Attached to each lever 98 is a spring 106 which holds the pin 102 in contact with the bottom of the slot 103 and the rule 94 in the closed position of FIG. 1. Finally, on the rule 94 there is mounted a pair of plates 107 adapted to guide the lateral edges of the form 67. The plates 107 can be made to slide transversely on the top edge of the rule 94 so as to adapt them to the required transverse position and the width of the fonn 67.

The front feeding device moreover comprises a transverse rigid frame 108 which is provided with two hollow side walls 109 and 110 (FIG. 2) open at the bottom and connected by three crosspieces, a rear crosspiece 116, an intermediate crosspiece 117 and a front crosspiece 118. The frame 108 is in one piece and may be made of light alloy or plastics material. The walls 109 and 110 of the frame 108 (FIG. 1) extend forward in correspondence with the plates 107. The frame 108 is disposed above the platen 12 and is pivoted by means of a projection 114 of each sidewall 109 and 110 on a spindle 113 fixed in the frame 10. The frame 108 can be tilted anticlockwise (in FIG. 1) on the spindle 113 until it bears against two fixed stops 111. Normally, the frame 108 bears against two fixed stops 112 in the position of FIG. 1.

The rear crosspiece 116 is provided with a lower extension 119 having an inwardly curved rear surface 120 substantially concentric with a transverse plate 121 fixed to the frame 10. The journal sheet 41 is guided between the surface 120 and the plate 121 and is then inserted between the plates 61 and the platen 12. The crosspiece 116 is moreover provided with a plane front surface 122.

The intermediate crosspiece 117 has a substantially wedgeshaped form defined by a plane rear surface 123 and a front surface 124 provided with a groove 125. The vertex of the wedge points upward. A separate or discontinuous form 126 can be inserted between the surface 122 of the crosspiece 116 and the surface 123 of the crosspiece 117 as an alternative to the journal sheet 41. The form 126 can be placed around the platen 12 like the journal sheet 41. The form 126 may be constituted, for example, by an invoice, a check or a receipt with the relevant superposed carbon copies, the top edges thereof being glued together. Since these forms are withdrawn by causing them to pass between the crosspiece 117 and the crosspiece 118 and always advance in the same direction, they are not prone to open up and bend back on themselves. Two plates 127 are mounted slidably on the crosspiece 117 and engage in the groove 125 by means of a projection 128. The plates 127 are similar to the plates 107 and are adapted to guide the lateral edges of the form 126.

Pivoted on the spindle 113 at the two ends of the platen 12 (FIGS. 1 and 2) are two levers 129 connected at the front by a bar 130 so as to form the usual paper-holding frame or bail. Upper paper-holding rollers 131 are rotatable on the bar 130. A spring 132 is attached to each lever 129 and holds the rollers 131 pressed against the platen 12. After the continuous journal sheet 41 or the form 126 has been placed around the platen 12, it is caused to emerge by passing between the crosspiece 117 and the front crosspiece 118, after being passed below the rollers 131.

The front feeding device operates in the following manner. To insert the journal sheet 41 over the platen 12, the rear cover 11 (FIG. 1) is first of all raised so as to permit the rotation of the frame 108 on the spindle 113. The lever 42 (FIG. 3) is then turned clockwise, bringing the notch 52 into engagement with the pin 46. As the lever 42 turns, the shaft 43 (FIG. 1) rotates together with the levers 57, as a result of which the pins 58 engage the arms 53 and cause them to turn clockwise and move the rollers 39 away from the platen 12. During the first part of the rotation of the arms 53, the rollers 39 shift with respect to the plates 61 and withdraw through the windows 64. Thereafter, due to the pin and slot connection 153, 163, the arms 53 carry the lugs 63 along, so that the plates 61 are rotated and move away from the platen 12.

The journal sheet 41 is now inserted by sliding it over the plate 121. The front edge of the journal sheet 41 strikes against the surface 120 of the lower extension 119 of the crosspiece 116 and is deflected downwardly. It is now guided by the plates 61 and passes between the rollers 39 and the platen 12, being stopped against the front rollers 66. By now bringing the lever 42 back into the position of FIG. 3, with the notch 51 in engagement with the pin 46, the rollers 39 and the plates 61 can be closed, as a result of which the journal sheet 41 can now be moved by manually rotating the platen 12. To this end, the lever 27 (FIG. 4) is first turned clockwise together with the disc 26 so as to bring the studs 25 into correspondence with the raised portions of the cam surfaces 24. Consequently, the disc 21 is urged axially to the right in FIG. 2 and shifts the sleeve 17 axially, thereby disengaging the disc 19 from the worm wheel 16 and compressing the spring 30. The platen 12 is thus disengaged from the wheel 16 and can be rotated manually by means of the milled knob 32 to move the journal sheet 41 by friction beyond the rollers 66.

The rule 94 (FIG. 1) is then opened by pressing it downward and causing the pins 102 to slide in the slots 103 until the rule 94 is brought into the position indicated by dash lines in FIG. 1. The front edge of the journal sheet 41 is now inserted between the rule 94 and the platen 12 and the journal sheet 41 is advanced by rotating the platen 12 by means of the milled knob 32 (FIG. 3) for a length greater than the distance between the rollers 66 (FIG. 1) and the bottom edge of the rule 94 in the closed position. The rule 94 is then released and turns about the shaft 43 and the pins 102 under the action of the springs 106, returning to the position of FIG. 1.

The frame 108 is then tilted by rotating it about the spindle 113 until it bears against the stops 111 at the rear. The bar 130 is then turned about the spindle 113, lifting the rollers 131, and the journal sheet 41 is inserted between the rollers 131 and the platen 12, therefore causing it to pass between the crosspiece 117 and the crosspiece 118. The bar 130 is then released, so that the springs 132 bring the rollers 131 back against the platen 12 and the frame 108 is brought back forward until it bears against the stops 112. The journal sheet 41 thus remains wrapped around the platen 12 and is kept in contact with the latter by the rollers 39, 66 and 131. At the top, the journal sheet 41 rests against the surface 124 of the crosspiece 117. Finally, the cover 11 can be replaced in the position shown in FIG. 1.

To insert the front form 67, the lever 68 (FIG. 3) is turned clockwise, thereby bringing the notch 78 of the slot 71 into engagement with the pin 72. As the lever 68 turns, the shaft 69 rotates together with the levers 81, the lugs of which push the studs 83, causing the arms 84 to turn clockwise about the rod 82 and moving the rollers 66 away from the platen 12. First of all, the rollers 66 shift with respect to the plates 89 and withdraw through the windows 93 and, thereafter, due to the pin and slot connection 184, 192 between the arms 84 and the lugs 92, the plates 89 are rotated together with the arms 84 and the plates also move away from the platen 12.

The cranks also rotate with the shaft 69 and urge the connecting rods 104 upwardly in FIG. 1. Acting via the slots I03 and the pins 102, the connecting rods cause the arms 98 to rotate clockwise and bring the rule 94 into the low position shown in dash lines in FIG. I. The form 67 is now inserted between the crosspiece 118 and the rule 94, causing the lateral edges thereof to be guided by the plates 107 and the bottom edges by the plates 89. After the form 67 has been aligned with the references marked on the rule 94, the lever 68 is brought back into the position of FIG. 3, thereby closing the rollers 66 and the rule 94.

Finally, the lever 27 (FIG. 4) is turned anticlockwise with the disc 26, bringing the studs 25 (FIG. 2) back on to the low portions of the cam surfaces 24. Consequently, the spring 30 urges the disc 19, reengaging it with the worm wheel 16, while the sleeve 17 brings the disc 21 back axially to the left in FIG. 2. The wheel 16 is thus reconnected with the platen 12, which can now be rotated through the wonn 14.

If it is desired to introduce a separate or discontinuous back form 126 (FIG. 1) into the inserter instead of the journal sheet 41, the rear rollers 39 are opened after the rear cover 11 has been raised, as hereinbefore described. The form 126 is then introduced between the crosspiece 116 and the crosspiece 117 of the frame 108 and is made to slide along the plates 61, which have been moved away from the platen 12 together with the rollers 39. The plates 61 guide the form 126 around the platen 12 until the front edge of the form 126 comes into contact with the front rollers 66. The rollers 39 are then reclosed and press the form 126 against the platen 12 and the We claim:

I. A paper-feeding apparatus for a typewriting, accounting or teleprinting machine having a roll platen and a printing device cooperating with said platen, said feeding apparatus comprising guide means for guiding continuous journal forms around said platen, said guide means including a first crosspiece located above and parallel with respect to said platen and having a plane front surface for supporting the leading part of said journal forms, said guide means including also a transverse plate located under said platen and having a curved portion for guiding the trailing part of said journal forms, and a front feed device for front feeding a discontinuous front form in addition to said journal, said device comprising a rule located in front of said platen and carried by supporting means pivotally mounted for being manually moved from a closed position to an open position to allow insertion of said discontinuous form, wherein the improvement comprises:

a. a second crosspiece located behind and parallel said first crosspiece and having an arcuate rear surface concentric with a portion of said curved portion for deflecting said journal forms downwards when advanced toward the back of said platen,

b. said first crosspiece having substantially the shape of a wedge with an upwardly directed vertex, said wedge being defined by said plane front surface and by a plane rear surface,

c. said second crosspiece having a substantially vertical front surface forming together with said plane rear surface a rear throat for inserting from the back of said platen a discontinuous journal form in alternative with said continuous journal form.

2. Feed apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

d. a first pair of lateral adjustable guides for laterally defining the position of said front form, said first pair of guides being mounted on said rule, and

e. a second pair of lateral-adjustable guides for laterally defining said throat, said second pair of guides being mounted on a transverse groove provided on said first crosspiece.

3. Feed apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

d. at least two upper paper-pressing rollers cooperating with said platen at the top for advancing said journal forms,

and e. lever means including a bail to support said upper paperpressing rollers in front of said first crosspiece, whereby a journal form passes between said upper paper-pressing rollers and said first crosspiece when advanced past the front of said platen.

4. Feed apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

d. a series of front paper-pressing rollers normally cooperating with said platen to cause'a front form to advance, a manually operated member for moving said front paperpressing rollers away from the platen, and

e. a lost-motion linkage connecting said supporting means to said front paper-pressing rollers whereby actuation of said manually operated member caused the opening of said rule, but opening of said rule does not influence said front paper-pressing rollers. 

1. A paper-feeding apparatus for a typewriting, accounting or teleprinting machine having a roll platen and a printing device cooperating with said platen, said feeding apparatus comprising guide means for guiding continuous journal forms around said platen, said guide means including a first crosspiece located above and parallel with respect to said platen and having a plane front surface for supporting the leading part of said journal forms, said guide means including also a transverse plate located under said platen and having a curved portion for guiding the trailing part of said journal forms, and a front feed device for front feeding a discontinuous front form in addition to said journal, said device comprising a rule located in front of said platen and carried by supporting means pivotally mounted for being manually moved from a closed position to an open position to allow insertion of said discontinuous form, wherein the improvement comprises: a. a second crosspiece located behind and parallel said first crosspiece and having an arcuate rear surface concentric with a portion of said curved portion for deflecting said journal forms downwards when advanced toward the back of said platen, b. said first crosspiece having substantially the shape of a wedge with an upwardly directed vertex, said wedge being defined by said plane front surface and by a plane rear surface, c. said second crosspiece having a substantially vertical front surface forming together with said plane rear surface a rear throat for inserting from the back of said platen a discontinuous journal form in alternative with said continuous journal form.
 2. Feed apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: d. a first pair of lateral adjustable guides for laterally defining the position of said front form, said first pair of guides being mounted on said rule, and e. a second pair of lateral-adjustable guides for laterally defining said throat, said second pair of guides being mounted on a transverse groove provided on said first crosspiece.
 3. Feed apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: d. at least two upper paper-pressing rollers cooperating with said platen at the top for advancing said journal forms, and e. lever means including a bail to support said upper paper-pressing rollers in front of said first crosspiece, whereby a journal form passes between said upper paper-pressing rollers and said first crosspiece when advanced past the front of said platen.
 4. Feed apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: d. a series of front paper-pressing rollers normally cooperating with said platen to cause a front form to advance, a manually operated member for moving said front paper-pressing rollers away from the platen, and e. a lost-motion linkage connecting said supporting means to said front paper-pressing rollers whereby actuation of said manually operated member causes the opening of said rule, but opening of said rule does not influence said front paper-pressing rollers. 